Sunday, January 2, 2011

Spirits of Tudor Hall Invites You to Join Us in the Adventure and Romance at Tudor Hall

Ever since we first organized in 2008, Spirits of Tudor Hall has been in the business of taking something old (Tudor Hall) and creating something new (our tours and our growing sense of team spirit). Not only do we work hard but we have fun as we work together to explore and share the history of Tudor Hall and the Booth family.

There are no membership requirements or dues at the current time beyond providing active support in whatever way suits you best. However, we do encourage our volunteers to consider purchasing a membership in at least one of the organizations that support Spirits of Tudor Hall. Memberships are available in the Center for the Arts, the Historical Society of Harford County, and the Junius B. Booth Society. For more information about becoming a member of these organizations, please contact spirits-of-tudor-hall@msn.com.

If you enjoy “pitching in” and using your skills and knowledge to make things happen, Tudor Hall just might be the place for you. A few of the “jobs” currently available are described below. Take a look at the list.If you don't find anything that fits your skills and interests, feel free to write and contact us with your own job description.

If you wish to volunteer, please contact us with information about your skills, experience, and qualifications and explain how you can put them to work on behalf of Tudor Hall.

For more information, contact Dinah Faber at spirits-of-tudor-hall@msn.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Storytellers

Spirits of Tudor Hall invites anyone with a talent for storytelling to audition to bring to life the story of Tudor Hall and those who have lived there while guiding visitors through the house.

Anyone interested in auditioning should contact Spirits of Tudor Hall for more information, including an application form and guidelines for submitting a brief resume and preparing for an audition.

Actors and Reenactors of Historic “Characters”

The primary goal of Spirits of Tudor Hall is to insure that visitors enjoy visiting Tudor Hall and learning more about the history of the house and the Booth family. A visit to Tudor Hall should not only be educational but entertaining as well.

With that in mind, Spirits of Tudor Hall invites anyone with acting or reenacting experience to audition for the role of any one of several historic figures associated with Tudor Hall for the purpose of welcoming visitors and taking them on a tour of the house while “in character.”

The roles available include any and all the members of the Booth family, Ella Harward Kyle Mahoney who lived at Tudor Hall for nearly 70 years, and any and all members of the Joseph and Ann Hall family (an African American family associated with Tudor Hall from the 1820s into the early 1900s).

Those who successfully complete the audition process will receive assistance in researching the historical character they have chosen to depict and creating a “conversational” script for that character. Once a character and script have been developed and proficiency in depicting the character has been demonstrated, assistance will be provided in choosing, designing, and funding an historically correct costume.

Anyone interested in auditioning should contact Spirits of Tudor Hall for more information, including an application form and guidelines for submitting a brief resume and preparing for an audition.

Speech and Drama Coaches

Our "performers" would benefit from the advice of an experienced speech and/or drama coach who enjoys working with those who are new to the "theatre." If that describes you, we would be delighted to include you in our team. Please contact us with details about your experience and qualifications.

Script and Story Writers

While some of our actors, reenactors, and storytellers may create their own scripts, others may ask for assistance in developing a script or storyline. Anyone with a talent for drafting storylines and writing dialogue is invited to contact Spirits of Tudor Hall for an application form and guidelines for presenting a brief resume and samples of their writing.

History Buffs to Provide Research Assistance

It is important that all information presented to visitors at Tudor Hall be as accurate and complete as possible. While some of our actors, reeenactors, storytellers, and speakers may prefer to do their own research and fact checking, others may appreciate assistance. Anyone with experience researching historic people, places, and events, is invited to contact Spirits of Tudor Hall for an application form and guidelines for presenting a brief resume and examples of successful research projects.

Oral Historians

There are many people in the community who have been associated with Tudor Hall over the years. It is important to collect and record the memories of these individuals. If you enjoy interviewing and photographing people and/or if you are skilled with a tape recorder or video camera and would like to help capture the oral history of Tudor Hall, please let us know.

Stage and Set Managers

There is always a certain amount of "set up" and "break down" required before and after the tours at Tudor Hall. This ranges from raising the flag in the front yard to setting up chairs on the front porch to distributing materials for visitors to pick up throughout the house and then "undoing" it all when the tours are over. If you would like to help us "open" and "close" the house and help keep things working like a well oiled machine in between, this job just might be for you.

Gift Shop

In January, February, and March 2011, our gift shop committee will meet to develop and take action on ways to transform our gift shop in time for the first tours in April. Anyone with retail experience is invited to contact Spirits of Tudor Hall for more information about participating in the gift shop committee.

Tudor Hall Speakers Bureau

To meet requests from community organizations and schools, Spirits of Tudor Hall needs people with a talent for public speaking to tell the story of Tudor Hall at local meetings and events and in local classrooms.

Actors, reenactors, and storytellers with experience at Tudor Hall may be interested in participating in community outreach of this kind.

Experienced PowerPoint Designer/Developer

Of course, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and a PowerPoint “slide show” would enhance any presentation about Tudor Hall in a classroom or meeting hall. Anyone with experience creating successful PowerPoint presentations is invited to contact Spirits of Tudor Hall about the possibility of developing a PowerPoint presentation for use by members of our Speakers Bureau.

Website Designer

While our blog continues to work well for us, we would like to explore moving on to a full-fledged website if we can find an experienced website designer to help ease the process. Spirits of Tudor Hall would be thrilled to welcome a trained and experienced website designer to our team of volunteers.

Online Publicity Hounds

Attracting visitors to our tours is one of the most important and satisfying tasks we face. It is also one of the most time consuming and challenging. Therefore, in 2011 we are creating a publicity committee to divide and conquer a number of publicity related "jobs."

We’re looking for a dedicated and reliable individuals who:

are familiar with one or more aspects of local media, including newspapers (the Aegis and its associated publication The Weekender are especially important), websites, radio, and/or television

have online computer skills

enjoy giving attention to details

thrive on seeing their hard work rewarded by increased attendance at tours and events at Tudor Hall.

Old-Fashioned Publicity Hounds

Attracting visitors to our tours is one of the most important and satisfying tasks we face. It is also one of the most time consuming and challenging. Therefore, in 2011 we are creating a publicity committee to divide and conquer a number of publicity related "jobs."

Even though we live in an electronic age, there is still a need to reach people the old-fashioned way through printed fliers, posters, and letters sent via snail mail.

occasionally print letters, stuff envelopes, and deliver these materials for mailing to the post office

Social Networking Fans

While Spirits of Tudor Hall has a successful and popular Facebook page in place, we would certainly welcome assistance in making it more effective, lively, and engaging.

Our fledgling Twitter page is in need of someone who enjoys and "gets" Twitter to help our Twitter page spread its wings and fly!

If you have experience creating and managing a successful online Facebook or Twitter page (especially for a business or organization), Spirits of Tudor Hall would certainly welcome your advice and assistance in improving and managing our Facebook and/or Twitter pages or setting up new pages on other popular social networking sites.

Photographers

Digital photographs of activities and the change of seasons at Tudor Hall are always needed for the Spirits of Tudor Hall blog and Facebook page. If you have a knack for taking high quality photos and would like to use your experience and talent to capture Tudor Hall in digital images, please email us samples of your work.

Party People

Last but certainly not least. Refreshments are served at many meetings or events sponsored by Spirits of Tudor Hall including some tours, and “foodies” who enjoy preparing and serving food and beverages are very welcome and much appreciated at Tudor Hall.

If you've come to the end of the list and still haven't found a job description that fits your interests and skills, then scroll down the page for the "post" with the title "Going Wild at Tudor Hall." There you'll find a list of volunteer activities for people who enjoy spending time outdoors.